Live updates as 5 election candidates battle it out in the challengers TV debate

Labour leader Ed Miliband battles it out live with Green Party leader Natalie Bennett, UKIP's Nigel Farage, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood

Leanne Wood is the leader of Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party.

She was born on December 13th, 1971 in the Rhondda, Glamorganshire.

Before becoming a member of the Welsh Assembly, Wood worked as a probation officer and lectured in social policy at Cardiff University.

She joined Plaid Cymru in 1991 aged 20 and worked as a researcher for Jill Evans MEP from 2000 to 2001.

Wood was elected to the Welsh Assembly in 2003, representing the South West Wales region. She was appointed shadow social justice minister between 2003 and 2007.

She's been no stranger to controversy during her time in the assembly. She was ordered out of the chamber for referring to the Queen as "Mrs Windsor" - and arrested during a 2007 protest against Trident.

Nicola Sturgeon is the leader of the Scottish National Party and the First Minister of Scotland. She's the first woman to hold either position

She was born on July 19th, 1970 in Irvine, Scotland.

After studying law and working as a solicitor in Glasgow, she was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999.

She first served as the party's shadow minister for education, and later for health and for justice.

She was elected deputy leader of her party in 2004, standing on a joint ticket with Alex Salmond.

When the SNP won the highest number of seats in the 2007 election, Nicola Sturgeon was appointed deputy first minister and cabinet secretary for first Health and Wellbeing, and then for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities.

Natalie Bennett is the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales.

She was born on February 10th, 1966 in Sydney, Australia and moved to the UK in 1999.

A journalist by trade, she's a former editor of Guardian Weekly, and has also written for the Independent and the Times.

She joined the Green Party in 2006 and stood unsuccessfully for a seat on Camden Council in 2006 and 2010. She was the internal communications coordinator on the party's national executive from 2007 to 2011.

Bennett stood for parliament in Holborn and St Pancras in 2010, but came fourth. She was also on the list of candidates for the London Assembly elections in 2012, but was unsuccessful.

She's standing again for the Holborn and St Pancras in the forthcoming General Election.

It's been almost five years since Ed Miliband won the race to succeed Gordon Brown as leader of the Labour party .

In that time he's been accused of a Shakespearian betrayal of his own brother and been snapped eating a bacon sandwich the wrong way.

But he's also distanced the party from the New Labour years of centre-right policy and questionable military interventions. And by all accounts he's buried the hatchet with his brother - a bit.

Despite low expectations he put on a great show at the first live TV leaders interview - going on the offensive in the face of tough questions from Jeremy Paxman.

 

So as we approach the BBC debate - where he'll be up against four other party - but not Nick Clegg or David Cameron - here's a timeline of his highs and lows since becoming leader.

Five party leaders go head-to-head this evening (but not Cameron or Clegg)

Getty David CameronAbsence: Tory leader David Cameron is not taking part tonight 

Labour leader Ed Miliband battles it out live with Green Party leader Natalie Bennett, UKIP's Nigel Farage, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood,

Tory leader David Cameron and Lib Dem Nick Clegg are not taking part.

Clegg has complained the debate would be "lopsided" without either of the government parties involved.

The PM, meanwhile, said it was part of a deal to "unblock the log-jam" over debates but Labour accused him of "ducking" them.

Labour leader Ed Miliband battles it out live with Green Party leader Natalie Bennett, UKIP's Nigel Farage, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood

Leanne Wood is the leader of Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party.

She was born on December 13th, 1971 in the Rhondda, Glamorganshire.

Before becoming a member of the Welsh Assembly, Wood worked as a probation officer and lectured in social policy at Cardiff University.

She joined Plaid Cymru in 1991 aged 20 and worked as a researcher for Jill Evans MEP from 2000 to 2001.

Wood was elected to the Welsh Assembly in 2003, representing the South West Wales region. She was appointed shadow social justice minister between 2003 and 2007.

She's been no stranger to controversy during her time in the assembly. She was ordered out of the chamber for referring to the Queen as "Mrs Windsor" - and arrested during a 2007 protest against Trident.

Nicola Sturgeon is the leader of the Scottish National Party and the First Minister of Scotland. She's the first woman to hold either position

She was born on July 19th, 1970 in Irvine, Scotland.

After studying law and working as a solicitor in Glasgow, she was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999.

She first served as the party's shadow minister for education, and later for health and for justice.

She was elected deputy leader of her party in 2004, standing on a joint ticket with Alex Salmond.

When the SNP won the highest number of seats in the 2007 election, Nicola Sturgeon was appointed deputy first minister and cabinet secretary for first Health and Wellbeing, and then for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities.

Natalie Bennett is the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales.

She was born on February 10th, 1966 in Sydney, Australia and moved to the UK in 1999.

A journalist by trade, she's a former editor of Guardian Weekly, and has also written for the Independent and the Times.

She joined the Green Party in 2006 and stood unsuccessfully for a seat on Camden Council in 2006 and 2010. She was the internal communications coordinator on the party's national executive from 2007 to 2011.

Bennett stood for parliament in Holborn and St Pancras in 2010, but came fourth. She was also on the list of candidates for the London Assembly elections in 2012, but was unsuccessful.

She's standing again for the Holborn and St Pancras in the forthcoming General Election.

It's been almost five years since Ed Miliband won the race to succeed Gordon Brown as leader of the Labour party .

In that time he's been accused of a Shakespearian betrayal of his own brother and been snapped eating a bacon sandwich the wrong way.

But he's also distanced the party from the New Labour years of centre-right policy and questionable military interventions. And by all accounts he's buried the hatchet with his brother - a bit.

Despite low expectations he put on a great show at the first live TV leaders interview - going on the offensive in the face of tough questions from Jeremy Paxman.

So as we approach the BBC debate - where he'll be up against four other party - but not Nick Clegg or David Cameron - here's a timeline of his highs and lows since becoming leader.

Five party leaders go head-to-head this evening (but not Cameron or Clegg)

Getty David CameronAbsence: Tory leader David Cameron is not taking part tonight 

Labour leader Ed Miliband battles it out live with Green Party leader Natalie Bennett, UKIP's Nigel Farage, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood,

Tory leader David Cameron and Lib Dem Nick Clegg are not taking part.

Clegg has complained the debate would be "lopsided" without either of the government parties involved.

The PM, meanwhile, said it was part of a deal to "unblock the log-jam" over debates but Labour accused him of "ducking" them.

Labour leader Ed Miliband battles it out live with Green Party leader Natalie Bennett, UKIP's Nigel Farage, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood

Leanne Wood is the leader of Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party.

She was born on December 13th, 1971 in the Rhondda, Glamorganshire.

Before becoming a member of the Welsh Assembly, Wood worked as a probation officer and lectured in social policy at Cardiff University.

She joined Plaid Cymru in 1991 aged 20 and worked as a researcher for Jill Evans MEP from 2000 to 2001.

Wood was elected to the Welsh Assembly in 2003, representing the South West Wales region. She was appointed shadow social justice minister between 2003 and 2007.

She's been no stranger to controversy during her time in the assembly. She was ordered out of the chamber for referring to the Queen as "Mrs Windsor" - and arrested during a 2007 protest against Trident.

Nicola Sturgeon is the leader of the Scottish National Party and the First Minister of Scotland. She's the first woman to hold either position

She was born on July 19th, 1970 in Irvine, Scotland.

After studying law and working as a solicitor in Glasgow, she was first elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999.

She first served as the party's shadow minister for education, and later for health and for justice.

She was elected deputy leader of her party in 2004, standing on a joint ticket with Alex Salmond.

When the SNP won the highest number of seats in the 2007 election, Nicola Sturgeon was appointed deputy first minister and cabinet secretary for first Health and Wellbeing, and then for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities.

Natalie Bennett is the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales.

She was born on February 10th, 1966 in Sydney, Australia and moved to the UK in 1999.

A journalist by trade, she's a former editor of Guardian Weekly, and has also written for the Independent and the Times.

She joined the Green Party in 2006 and stood unsuccessfully for a seat on Camden Council in 2006 and 2010. She was the internal communications coordinator on the party's national executive from 2007 to 2011.

Bennett stood for parliament in Holborn and St Pancras in 2010, but came fourth. She was also on the list of candidates for the London Assembly elections in 2012, but was unsuccessful.

She's standing again for the Holborn and St Pancras in the forthcoming General Election.

It's been almost five years since Ed Miliband won the race to succeed Gordon Brown as leader of the Labour party .

In that time he's been accused of a Shakespearian betrayal of his own brother and been snapped eating a bacon sandwich the wrong way.

But he's also distanced the party from the New Labour years of centre-right policy and questionable military interventions. And by all accounts he's buried the hatchet with his brother - a bit.

Despite low expectations he put on a great show at the first live TV leaders interview - going on the offensive in the face of tough questions from Jeremy Paxman.

So as we approach the BBC debate - where he'll be up against four other party - but not Nick Clegg or David Cameron - here's a timeline of his highs and lows since becoming leader.

Five party leaders go head-to-head this evening (but not Cameron or Clegg)

Getty David CameronAbsence: Tory leader David Cameron is not taking part tonight 

Labour leader Ed Miliband battles it out live with Green Party leader Natalie Bennett, UKIP's Nigel Farage, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood,

Tory leader David Cameron and Lib Dem Nick Clegg are not taking part.

Clegg has complained the debate would be "lopsided" without either of the government parties involved.

The PM, meanwhile, said it was part of a deal to "unblock the log-jam" over debates but Labour accused him of "ducking" them.